Fleet Readiness Center Southwest became the first naval command to gain both AS9110 certification (issued Nov. 6) and AS9100 certification (issued Nov. 18).
At a time of high-cost aviation fuels, no aircraft operator wants a leaking fuel tank. But as aircraft remain in service longer and cycle times mount, this will become more of a maintenance issue. “As aircraft age, leaks develop around high stress areas of the wing,” says Randy Reihart, director of quality assurance for Ontario, Calif.-based Aviation Fuel Systems Repair. “Especially with very high-cycle aircraft, it’s a constant battle to find the source of these leaks.”
Tire Pressure Gauge Set A new tire pressure gauge kit allows customers to build their own sets of tools, customized to their operations. Tool Testing Labs’ kit comes with three heavy-duty, brass-body analog gauges, angled and straight chucks with flexible hose handles, and quick-disconnect couplings.
Gulfstream Aerospace appointed Dan O’Malley director of operations for new product development, based in Savannah, Ga. O’Malley has been general manager of Gulfstream’s facility in Mexicali, Mexico, since July 2001; he will continue to lead the Mexicali site until Gulfstream names his replacement.
Slide Alert System Curtiss-Wright Controls’ new audible alert system aims to prevent unintentional aircraft slide deployment and the engineering costs and delays the inadvertent action causes. The SmartHandle system emits a verbal warning that lets air crew or maintainers know that the passenger entry/exit door is armed. Designed for compatibility with any aircraft type, the Curtiss-Wright Controls unit fits flush to the aircraft door and should require little maintenance.
Collaboration was one of the highest-flying concepts during the Internet boom. The idea was simple: the best companies would seamlessly connect with their customers and suppliers so that information was shared and transparent. Companies that failed to collaborate were doomed. The hype was best illustrated by an ad from a then-famous supply chain software firm with the headline “Collaborate or Die.”
Contract maintenance has spurred a one-sided debate lately in the general media, including a certain U.S. newspaper that has frequently botched airline reporting and sensationalized issues. While I first dismissed the latest article as another piece of bad journalism in this newspaper, my phone keeps ringing. “What do you think?” “Does the public believe this stuff?”
Goodrich began upgrading Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft with its Terprom ground proximity warning system. The upgrade is expected to be incorporated into the future batch enhancement upgrade to the aircraft.
SR Technics began offering aircraft operators a 45-day turnaround time for engine maintenance, available for CFM56-5B, CFM56-5C and CFM56-7B engine types. Launch customer Hapag Lloyd Flug GmbH took delivery of its engine in January 2010. Avionics/IFE
BAE Systems Australia received a pair of contracts from the Australian government to maintain helicopters for the army and navy. The deal, valued at A$240 million ($221 million), covers work in Queensland on army Black Hawk helicopters and in New South Wales on the navy’s Seahawk fleet.
The defense ministry has taken delivery of the second of seven P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft whose aircraft and missions systems are being upgraded as part of a U.S. foreign military sales project (O&M, Feb. '09, p. 45). Lockheed Martin, which was contracted to do the upgrades, delivered the second aircraft on Jan. 7 to NAS Jacksonville, Fla., for transfer to Pakistan. The aircraft are being upgraded to support antiship and antisubmarine-warfare missions and improve surveillance of littoral and ocean waters.
Rockwell Collins formed a strategic alliance with Saudi Arabia’s Advanced Electronics Co. to co-develop and market avionics products and services. As part of the deal, AEC will become an authorized repair and service center for jointly developed avionics and electronics. Parts/Components
Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Co. (GAMECO) is introducing engineering and technical services at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport. Its maintenance staff there completed the first two Boeing 777F A checks in February for China Southern Airlines, which is the launch customer for GAMECO’s line maintenance services at the airport.
The European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA) has urged new European Commissioner-designate for Transport Siim Kallas of Estonia to stop state aid to ailing national carriers. “In such cases the airlines in question must be permitted to simply exit the market for which they are no longer fit,” says ELFAA Secretary General John Hanlon.
Armstrong Aerospace to install the Honeywell Runway Awareness & Advisory System on Boeing 747-400 and 737-300 and 737-500 series, STC ST02778CH and ST02776CH
CNS/ATM Kits for KC-135 Arinc Engineering Services is supplying to the Air Force 44 circuit breaker replacement kits that it designed and manufactured for use in a KC-135 tanker upgrade. The kits will be installed as part of the ongoing Global Air Transportation Management Block 40 upgrade, which will allow the aircraft to comply with CNS/ATM (communication navigation surveillance/air traffic management) requirements for unrestricted access to civil and international airspace.
SINGAPORE—An experiment in hands-on training for students specializing in aeronautical mechanics at Singapore Polytechnic has become a regular opportunity for lucky upper-class members under a three-year agreement with Pratt & Whitney.
Jetstar Airways signed a $2 billion service agreement with International Aero Engines to accompany a separate $1.5 billion contract for IAE V2500 SelectOne engines that will power 50 Airbus A320 aircraft. The engine purchase agreement also includes options for up to 40 more aircraft.
The terms “fuel cell” and “bladder” tanks are used interchangeably to describe a fuel tank that is completely removable from the airframe for servicing and not integral to the aircraft. While all but gone from commercial transports, they will likely see continued application in general aviation aircraft. Removable tank maintenance is frequently overlooked until a leak is spotted. Then, the only alternative may be a total replacement, according to Erich Hartwig, manager of Hartwig Aircraft Fuel Cell Repair in Hallock, Minn.
Ameco Beijing inducted an LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 767-300 for a C Check on Jan. 11. It also will overhaul United Airlines’ Boeing 747s, as well as the carrier’s 777s, for which it already does heavy maintenance. The 777 work, under a five-year contract signed in 2005, will be extended for a further five years. Heavy maintenance on the 747s will also last for five years. And, Ameco won a contract to provide C check services for Aeroflot’s four 767-300ERs.
SR Technics will consolidate its component services in Zurich, shuttering its London-Stansted component operation in the process. UK line maintenance efforts will continue from its Heathrow logistics base. Joint Ventures/ Acquisitions
United Technologies received a $24.7 million delivery order under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement contract to repair line items used on the J-52 engine in support of the EA-6B aircraft.
Dublin Aerospace appointed Brian Hayden to its board of directors. Hayden previously was chairman of GECAS Ltd and EVP technical for the leasing company.
Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Co. Ltd. (GAMECO) named David Conrad director of international sales and marketing, Li Longxiang director of strategy and development, Li Xin chief inspector of its quality control department, and Bob Peng director of its marketing and sales department. Conrad comes to GAMECO from Rexnord Aerospace, where he served as VP sales, marketing and customer service. Li Longxiang most recently was manager of reliability control and a specialist in quality assurance for China Southern Airlines.
